The present invention generally relates to a system for fabricating micro optical elements and, in particular, relates to one such system having means for providing relative motion between a beam of optical radiation and a support for a substrate in accordance with a precalculated pattern that is then implemented as an optical radiation intensity map.
As used herein the phrase "micro optical element" is taken to mean those optical elements that are not reasonably susceptible to fabrication by standard optical grinding and polishing techniques.
In recent history there has been many improvements in optical materials as well as opto-electronic materials and hybrid micro-electronic/optic circuits. Concurrent with such improvements, there has been an increased demand for high resolution micro optical elements to support applications of the new materials and circuits. For example, the wide-spread use of optical fibers has increased the demand for such high-quality micro-optical elements. Further, considerable effort is being expended to improve the efficiency of optical detector arrays. Other general fields that have a need for high quality micro-optical elements and/or arrays include digital optical processors, optical communication systems and laser diode systems, to name but a few.
To date a number of systems and techniques have been advanced for the fabrication of micro optical elements. These systems and techniques include lithographically generated binary optics, mass transport systems, controlled melting techniques, molded elements, electron/ion beam fabrication, photolytic shaping, material impression and photoelectrochemical etching systems.
Although each of the above systems and techniques has well known benefits each has been determined to suffer from one or more physical limitations such as inability to accurately reproduce large arrays of elements inadequate optical resolution of the elements produced; inability to achieve high numerical apertures; inability to operate over a wide spectral range; inability to control aspheric characteristics and/or an inability to reliably produce devices having a plurality of different micro optical elements integrated thereon.
Hence, in light of the above, there is a significant need and desire for a system for fabricating micro optical elements that overcomes the above recited drawbacks of the current technology.